Toy railroad track



June 14, 71938. H. L. JOHNSON TOY RAILROAD TRACK Filed July 5, 1935 3 Sheets-Sheet l June 14, 1938. H. L. JOHNSON TOY RAILROAD TRACK Filed July 5, 1935 3 Sheets-Sheet 2 June 14, 1938. H. 1.. JOHNSON TOY RAILROAD TRACK Filed July 5, 1935 3 Sheets-Sheet 3 em l:

Patented June 14, 1938 UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE 2,120,251 TOY RAILROAD TRACK Henry Louis Johnson, East Cleveland, Ohio Application July 5, 1935, Serial No. 29,910

21 Claims.

This invention relates to toy railroad tracks, and more particularly to those which are flexible and extensible, in order that the track may be used in difierent places, and in different shapes.

Generally stated, the object of the invention is to provide a novel and improved construction and arrangement whereby a track of this kind is composed of sheet metal sections flexibly telescoped together and secured to ties or sleepers, preferably of wood, without the use of nails or screws orother fastening devices, whereby the track may be straight or curved, when in use, and may be rolled up into a compact and neat bundle or package for shipment or storage.

It is also an object to provide certain details and features of construction, and certain combinations, tending to increase the general eificiency and the desirability of a flexible and extensible toy railroad track of this particular character.

To the foregoing and other useful ends, the invention consists in matters hereinafter set forth and claimed and shown in the accompanying drawings, in which- Fig. 1 is a perspective of a section of track embodying the principles of the invention, showing the same laid down straight.

Fig.2 is a plan view of a section of said track, showing the same laid down on a curve.

Fig. 3 is a plan view of a section of the track with its ends brought together, providing an endless track for the toy cars.

Fig. 4 is an edge view of a section of the track,

showing the same rolled into a bundle or package for shipment or storage.

Fig. 5 is an edge view or side elevation of a section of the track, showing the same flexed to extend over a simulated hill or grade.

Fig. 6 is a perspective of one of the short telescoping sections of the track, which are made of sheet metal. a

Fig. 7 is a perspective of portions of two adjacent sheet metal sections, showing the manner in which the same are telescoped together.

Fig. 8 is a plan view of three of theties or sleepers, preferably of wood, with their respective sheet metal sections secured thereto and telescoped together, and with the ties or sleepers shown as converging to illustrate how the'track is flexible laterally to provide a right or left curve.

Fig. 9 is a view, on a smaller scale, of three ties or sleepers, with the sheet metal sectionssecured thereto, arranged in separate form, and illustrating certain details of the construction.

Fig. 10 is a perspective of one of the wood ties or sleepers that are preferably used in the construction of the track.

Fig. 11 is a perspective of one of the sheet metal sections that are used at one end of a length of the track.

Fig. 12 is an enlarged longitudinal section of a length or section of said track.

Fig. 13 is an enlarged transverse section on line l3l3 in Fig. 12.

Fig. 14 is a bottom view of the structure shown in Fig. 12, with the ties or sleepers shown in dotted lines, being in effect a section on line l4--I4 in Fig. 12 of the drawings.

Fig. 15 is an enlarged transverse section on line l5-l 5 in Fig. 12 of the drawings.

Fig. 16 is a view similar to Fig. 12, but showing the telescoping sheet metal sections somewhat extended to illustrate the flexibility of the track.-

Fig. 1'7 is a similar view, but showing the track curved in the opposite direction.

, As thus illustrated, the invention comprises the ties or sleepers l, and to these are secured the sheet metal sections 2, which latter are of the kind shown in Figs. 6 and 7 of the drawings. It will be seen that each tie or sleeper is provided with three elevations 3, and with grooves 4 at opposite sides of said elevations, as shown in Fig. 10 of the drawings. It is to these elevations 3 that the sheet metal sections are secured, as shown in Fig. 15 of the drawings, by pressing the metal into said elevations 3, as shown at 5, whereby the sheet metal sections are secured to the ties or sleepers without the use of nails or screws or other fastening devices.

Each sheet metal section is formed, as shown in Figs. 6 and '7 of the drawings, with smaller end portions 6 that telescope within the larger end portions 1 .of the next section, as shown in Figs. 12, 16 and 17 of the drawings, and with this formationthe top of each track is practically straight and level, the offset at 8 of each sheet metal section beingsubstantially equal to the thicknessof the metal. :.The smaller end portion of each section has the depressed flanges 9, and the larger portion 2 ofeach section has the integral'fia'nges .l0, which are just the thicknessof the metal above the flanges 9, so that the latter extend, under the flanges ID of the next section, as shown in Fig. '7 of the drawings. 'I'he larger end of each section is provided with bendable portions II, which are inserted through the slots l2 with which each section is formed, and which are bent upwardly inside, "as shown in Figs; '7

and'13 of th'e drawings. It will be seen thatfth'e slots it are longer than the portions I I, so that there is some telescoping or endwise motion as between the sections, in order to provide the flexibility necessary for the desired method of using the track, as illustrated in Figs. 16 and 1'7 of the drawings.

At one end of a length of track thus constructed, there is preferably a block l3, forming two of the ties or sleepers, and the three sectional rails at this end of thelength are provided with plugs it for insertion into the sockets l5, which are provided on the ends of the three rails at the other end of the length of track, whereby to provide an endless or continuous track, when desired, as shown in Fig. 3 of the drawings.

The block also is provided with metal sockets I6, at one side of the track structure, to receive electrical conductor plugs IT, as shown in Fig. 9 of the drawings. Copper wires l8 are threaded through the hollow sheet metal sectional tracks thus formed, resting on top of the elevations 3, and these wires are preferably formed with lateral bends, so that each wire is practically zigzag in effect, providing portions which make electrical contact with the sheet metal sections of the tracks, and these three copper wires I8 are suitably connected, as shown in Fig. 9 of the drawings, with the sockets l6, whereby electric current may be supplied to the three rails of the track to drive the electric locomotive of the toy railroad. If desired, the middle rail may have two copper wires l8, to more certainly provide electrical contact with all of the sheet metal sections of this middle rail, the latter being the one to which the current is taken into the track, and the two outside rails being the ones that return the current to the source. Of course, the electrical connections may be of any known suitable or approved character, so far as the sheet metal construction of the track is concerned, but the wiring shown and described is effective for the purpose of electrifying the three rails of the track, thereby to drive the toy cars in the desired manner.

Thus, the track can be made in lengths, either short or long, and the lengths can be telescoped together, by using the plugs i4 and the sockets l5, previously described. The track is flexible laterally, as shown in Figs. 2 and 3 of the drawings, and as illustrated in Fig, 8 of the drawings, to provide a right or left curve for the track. It is also flexible up and down, as shown in Figs. 16 and 17, to simulate hills or grades for the track. When not in use, the track can be rolled up in a neat package or bundle, as shown in Fig. 4 of the drawings, and this also facilitates the shipping and selling of the track, as even a long length of track can be rolled up neatly and compactly in a comparatively small box or package.

Furthermore, the track is comparatively inexpensive to make, as the fastening of the sheet metal telescoping sections to the wood ties or sleepers is accomplished without theuse of nails, tacks, screws or other fastening devices. With proper machinery, the toy track construction shown and described, can be turned out endlessly, practically, and then cut or severed into lengths of the proper or desired dimensions.

From the foregoing, it will be seen that the sheet metal rail sections are rigidly secured to the ties or sleepers, and are formed in such manner that they directly engage each other at their ends, preferably by telescoping their ends together, thereby practically providing a continuous rail, a rail of practically continuous continuity, along the tread thereof, when the sections are relatively adjusted endwise, for either extension or contraction of the rail, as in providing a curve or bend in the track.

What I claim as my invention is:

l. in a toy railroad track, the combination of means forming transverse ties or sleepers for the track, and sheet metal rail sections loosely connected together and directly engaging each other at their ends and rigidly secured directly to said ties or sleepers, having provisions to limit endwise relative adjustment between the sections,-

while practically maintaining the continuity of each sectional rail thus provided, forming in effect a plurality of continuous and parallel rails for the toy railroad track.

2. A structure as specified in claim 1, said ties or sleepers having elevated portions on the upper sides thereof, and said sheet metal sections being clamped on said elevated portions in a manner obviating the necessity of using nails or tacks or screws or other similar fastening devices.

3. A structure as specified in claim 1, said sheet metal sections being formed with telescoping end portions, and with overlapping and interlocked flanges, at their adjacent ends, shaped in such manner that the top of each rail is practically straight and level.

' 4. A structure as specified in claim 1, each sheet metal section having a larger end and a smaller end, for telescoping the sections together, and said loose connection being formed by each section having its smaller end portion provided with lateral slots extending longitudinally of the "track, and by the larger end of each section having bendable portions for insertion through said slots, whereby to loosely and flexibly and extensibly connect the sheet metal sections together to form in effect a continuous rail.

5. A structure as specified in claim 1, said sheet metal sections having continuous electrical current wires therein, having electrical engagement with the sections, together with electrical con- 'nections at an end of the track for connecting said wires to a source of current.

6. A structure as specified in claim 1, said sheet metal sections being telescoped together at their adjacent ends, making the track flexible laterally, as well as vertically, and providing for extension and contraction of each rail, as in forming a curve in the track.

'7. A structure as specified in claim 1, said sheet metal sections being clamped on the ties or sleepers in a manner to obviate the necessity of using any nails or tacks or screws or other fastening devices in the assembling of the sheet metal sections on the ties or sleepers.

8. A structure as specified in claim 1, each sheet metal rail section being rigidly secured directly to a single tie or sleeper, so that the ties are relatively adjustable to each other.

9. In a toy railroad track, sheet metal rail sections having means holding them together, telescoped one within the other, at their ends, to provide rails that are in eifect laterally and vertically flexible, and providing for extension and contraction of each rail, as in forming a curve or bend in the track, and ties or sleepers to which the rail sections are fastened and supporting the latter in direct engagement with each other.

10. A structure as specified in claim 9, said rail sections being rigidly secured to the ties or sleepers.

11. A structure as specified in claim 9, each rail section having relatively large and small ends, with the small end of each section telescoped within the large end of another section, and relatively formed to limit the relative endwise adjustment of the sections.

12. In a toy railroad track, rail sections directly engaging each other, having means holding them together, forming practically continuous rails which are flexible and extensible, and supporting means to which said rail sections are secured, forming therewith a flexible and portable track.

13. A structure as specified in claim 12, said sections being hollow and telescoped together at their ends.

14. A structure as specified in claim 12, having means on the sections to limit the extent of extension and contraction of each rail.

15. A structure as specified in claim 12, said rail sections being hollow, thereby providing conduits for electrical conductors extending therein.

16. A'structure as specified in claim 12, said supporting means comprising wood sleepers to which the sections are rigidly secured.

17. A structure as specified in claim 12, said supporting means comprising wood sleepers to which the sections are rigidlysecured, each sleeper having a raised portion extending upwardly into one of said sections, the latter being hollow and formed of sheet metal.

18. A structure as specified in claim 12, said supporting means comprising relatively movable members connected together only by said rails.

19. A structure as specified in claim 12, said securing means comprising bent portiom oi the sheet metal rail sections.

20. In a toy railroad track, sleepers or ties provided with integral upstanding rigid portions, and sheet metal rail sections resting at their lower edges on said ties, rigidly clamped at the middle upon said upstanding portions, with the ends of the said sections interengaging and connected loosely together at points between the ties, so that each tie is rigid with a single section of each rail, whereby the ties are'movable, within limits, toward and away from each other, in the laying down of the track structure.

21. In a toy railroad track, the combination of (1) hollow rail sections having means integral therewithtor holding them end to end and loosely together at their ends, forming loose Joints between them, and in eilect forming a plurality of parallel continuous hollow rails, and

(2) ties or sleepers supporting said rail sections and assembled therewith and formed with rail retaining means for holding the sections on the ties and entirely concealed in'sidethe hollow rails at points between said loose joints.

, HENRY LOUIS JOHNSON. 

